An automotive air conditioning condenser finding increased usage is the so-called headered tank and tube condenser, a good example of which is shown in co-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,476. Each of a pair of tank units has a three-sided channel or extrusion closed on the fourth side by a slotted plate or header that is clinched and brazed in place to form a basically rectangular cross section, although the header may be slightly arcuate. Relatively short lengths of extruded tubing run between the tanks, through the slotted headers. Another style of such a condenser uses tanks that are cylindrical or almost cylindrical, and, in some designs, the tanks are actually comprised of sections of seamless cylindrical pipe, with no separate header plate. Condensers, of whatever design, are typically mounted in front of the vehicle radiator, just behind the grill, so that the same fan can force cooling air over both heat exchangers simultaneously. With increasingly scarce underhood space, it is desirable to save underhood space wherever possible. One proposal is to combine the two heat exchangers into one modular unit, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,262, assigned to the assignee of the subject invention. Even such a combined unit, however, cannot share the heat exchanging media, which must be kept hydraulically discrete, or share plumbing or line connections into or out of the respective tanks.
Prior art condensers of the type described above sometimes place the line fittings, and inlet and outlet fitting, on the top end of the respective inlet and outlet tanks, which creates an obvious limitation on line routing. Often, the fittings extend through the side wall of the tank, that is, through that wall or part of the tank that directly faces the ends of the tubes within the tanks. This is a more flexible arrangement in that it does not confine the fitting just to the end or top of the tank, but it also puts the fitting directly in line with the ends of the tubes within the inlet tank. If over inserted, the fitting can hit the tube ends, and even if properly inserted, the hot refrigerant rushing through the inlet fitting directly impinges on the ends of the tubes to which it is closest. More important, there are applications where it would be desirable to place the fittings on the face of the tank instead, that is, on that wall or portion of the tank that is perpendicular to the side of the tank, and which directly faces the radiator behind the condenser. This may, in some situations, allow for more compact and direct line routing. Often, in such designs, there is not sufficient room between the tube ends and the tank side wall that they directly face to allow a fitting to be inserted through the face wall of the tank, perpendicular to the tube ends, without hitting the tube ends. The obvious solution of making the fitting small enough in diameter to slide between the tube ends would require that the fitting be precisely located on the face wall, or it would hit the tube ends regardless, and a diameter that small might well be too small to handle the necessary refrigerant flow.